If the Dodge Dart is going to save Chrysler it will do so with an automatic transmission.

The car maker said it sold 974 of the compact Darts in June and July, its first two months on the market. That level might be OK for boutique sports cars and specialty luxury brands but not for the Dart, which is supposed to be a high-volume seller.

To be a home-run success and compete head-to-head with top compact cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, Dodge really needs to sell that many Darts every day, or at least every two or three days.